A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1488-1533, 1611-1686
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Pof(f)il(l, n. Also: paffill. [Only Sc. Appar. repr. an OE *pofel of unknown origin and meaning, found early as an element in north. Eng. place-names. Also in the later dial. as poffle, also paffle.] A small piece of farm-land, a smallholding, croft.An early instance is the place-name Machispoffil (1296 Cal. Doc. II 505), Maxpofill (c 1320 Reg. Great S. (1814) 6/1).All the localities referred to in our examples lie south of Aberdeenshire.(a) 1488 Reg. Great S. 377/1.
Le Park de Boithuill [Lanarkshire] … Knokhubill, cum le Poffillis, le Schawis 1517 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 101.
All the townis and poffillis [about Craigmillar] 1532 Reg. Privy S. II 164/1.
The few of the toun of Alicht … the landis of Schangy, the thrid of Ochteralicht, with the poffill callit the walk myll 1532–3 Reg. Great S. 275/1.
Beirhoulme, Litill-Coig, le Waist-poffill, et molendino de Coigis in baronia de Keir, vic. Perth 1611 Ib. 171/2.
Ballone et lie Kirklandis de Cowper … cum … lie Poffill de Straikynnes cum decimis [etc.] 1628 Peebles Gleanings 76.
Ather to buy or sell … in ony landwart toun or poffil 1648 Glasgow B. Rec. II 151.
Anent … the setting of the townes commoune lands, in regaird it is thoght most conduceable to the publict good that it be sett furthe in poffilis 1659–60 Ib. 544.
In pairt payment of the landwartmens cess and toune poffilles 1663 Ib. III 486.
The poffilles in Easter and Waster Commounes 1664–6 Argyll Sas. II 369, 386, 421. 1686 Strathendrick 331.]
[In half of the five merk land of Middle Tulliechewan and one half of the poffle of Croftengaw(b) 1652 Burnett of Leys App. 264.
All and haill Midd Balbrydie, as it is presently occupied be William Douglasse … (called by his vnquhill father that painfull paffill)
